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Jacksonville among best cities to retire, financial website states

Jacksonville is ranked as one of the best cities to retire in the U.S., according to NerdWallet, an online financial advice website.

Jacksonville ranked as No. 11 out of 75 large U.S. cities in a survey released last week, mostly because of cheaper access to health care and Florida’s temperate weather, said NerdWallet analyst Sreekar Jasthi.

Florida as a whole grabbed three of the top 20 spots in the survey, with Miami at No. 1 and Tampa at No. 6.

The study is one of many that brings up the discussion of the U.S.’ aging population.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Florida has been graying over the past 10 years since the Baby Boomer generation is reaching retirement age and other retirees are flocking to Florida.

NerdWallet compiled demographic and economic data from various sources, including the U.S. Census, to help its readers understand the various factors that go into financial analysis, Jasthi said.

“The reason we do this is to provide some transparency to some numbers that people don’t think about when making decisions,” he said.

Jacksonville ranked slightly better in health-care costs than most of the top cities, and the cost of living centered on average for major U.S. cities. The average cost of a doctor’s visit in Jacksonville was $69.40.

However, the city ranked poorly when looking at walkable cities.

“The cost of living in Jacksonville is a good bit lower than the rest of these cities,” he said. “Clearly, one area that it does shine is health-care costs.”